great instructional video on the thai roundhouse kick and other techniques

[gabbah]

This is the best instructional video I have seen explaining the thai roundhouse kick. It draws out angles and such on the video, it's great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YpCcJ2SnDs&NR

There's also a vid explaining the stance, but some may not agree with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP9SfF2Y4Z0&NR

The teep:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMMBRBNtZLw&mode=related&search=

It's interesting what they say about reaching forward with your arm (on the same side your teeping)... that's not what I do when i teep. I do it like Buakaw and many other experinced fighters do it, letting the arm swing back for more power and balance in the teep.. a bit like when you do a roundhouse.
What about you guys?

You can also find some other stuff from the same guy on utube... elbows and such.

[Khun Kao]

I actually reach forwards on my Push Kicks like they do in the vid....

I don't like the stance. But as I commented on the video itself, it reminds me of what my friends showed me after training with Matee.

The roundhouse video is pretty good. I really like the overhead shots. But in much of the video they are not rotating fully as they should be. A bit more snap in the kick, too. Makes me think that their kicking style is influenced by Kyokushin Karate (Dutch style MuayThai fighting)

[ryangruhn]

It worries me a bit how they did not put any emphasis on keeping your opposite hand up and on your head when doing the round kick. That's how you get knocked out people!

Gruhn

[twtguy]

I don't like the stance. But as I commented on the video itself, it reminds me of what my friends showed me after training with Matee.

What don't you agree with on the stance? Just curious...how do you stand? Was it where he kept his hands?

[gabbah]

It worries me a bit how they did not put any emphasis on keeping your opposite hand up and on your head when doing the round kick. That's how you get knocked out people!

Gruhn

Well, you can't cover everything.. I mean there are sooo many things you can say. But compared to what I have seen so far, this is quite a good instructional on the basics of the muay thai kick, becuase it uses lines demonstrating rotation of hips and such.

Khun Kao, about extending the arm when teeping, I will have to try that out. Maybe I can get used to doing it that way too... may come in handy if I meet a good counter puncher.

About the stance, it was too much inline for my likeing. That makes it harder to block lowkicks to the front leg and throw rear roundhouse.
Oh, and about the hands.. yeah that looks like a typical kickboxing way of holding the hands. It makes it harder to kick balance wise. I like to hold my hands up in front of my face to deflect punches and the counter. If you hold your hands with a little distance from your face it's easier and faster to teep and kick I think. My kickboxer instructor normally teaches the "tight" way of fighting however. It works well against an opponent that is not so good at kicking... well my 2 cents anyway.

[ryangruhn]

While it it titled "Muay Thai Training - Stance" he states a few times that this stance is different than the Muay Thai stance leading me to believe that he is teaching more of a boxing stance and he knows this. When observing this stance from a boxing perspective I think it is pretty close to what I have learned and what Ajarn Chai stresses. If this is in fact their MT stance there are some major flaws.

Gruhn

[twtguy]

About the stance, it was too much inline for my likeing. That makes it harder to block lowkicks to the front leg and throw rear roundhouse.
Oh, and about the hands.. yeah that looks like a typical kickboxing way of holding the hands. It makes it harder to kick balance wise. I like to hold my hands up in front of my face to deflect punches and the counter. If you hold your hands with a little distance from your face it's easier and faster to teep and kick I think. My kickboxer instructor normally teaches the "tight" way of fighting however. It works well against an opponent that is not so good at kicking... well my 2 cents anyway.

Thanks for the insight guys. I get the hands part, but I'm still confused with what you said about the stance being too inline. Do you mean he was too squared off? Could you elaborate please?

[ryangruhn]

The stance has too much of a "blade" to it. Squared would be pointing both hips and shoulders towards the target when blading is only pointing one hip and one shoulder at the target. As explained, blading the body cuts off an entire side of the body from creating meaningful power without being telegraphic.

Gruhn

[twtguy]

Thanks for that. I guess I have too much blade to my stance as well then. I could see about the telegraphing too. I suppose it's time for me to square off a little bit eh?

[gabbah]

Thanks for that. I guess I have too much blade to my stance as well then. I could see about the telegraphing too. I suppose it's time for me to square off a little bit eh?

If you train with lowkicks I would definitely advice that yes, square off your stance a bit. I do know that kickboxers (american style) that don't train with lowkicks do have a more bladed stance as seen in the video, because you show less target to your opponent.
If you square up you should notice (after a while) that your roundhouse and right cross are easier to throw and land harder.
Using the more bladed stance will give you problems once your opponent starts lowkicking you... like turning you sideways even if you block the kick and so on.

That beeing said, the more bladed stance makes your sidekick and spinning back kick faster.
On the other hand, the more square stance makes your sidemovements faster, which means a person performing a spinning back kick that is a little too slow can be countered in a devestating way by sidestepping the kick and then onloading punches and kicks while he's still regaining his balance from just having missed the kick.
Knowing both stances and how to fight from them is even better. Then you can alternate between them and confuse your opponent.

[twtguy]

If you train with lowkicks I would definitely advice that yes, square off your stance a bit. I do know that kickboxers (american style) that don't train with lowkicks do have a more bladed stance as seen in the video, because you show less target to your opponent.
If you square up you should notice (after a while) that your roundhouse and right cross are easier to throw and land harder.
Using the more bladed stance will give you problems once your opponent starts lowkicking you... like turning you sideways even if you block the kick and so on.

That beeing said, the more bladed stance makes your sidekick and spinning back kick faster.
On the other hand, the more square stance makes your sidemovements faster, which means a person performing a spinning back kick that is a little too slow can be countered in a devestating way by sidestepping the kick and then onloading punches and kicks while he's still regaining his balance from just having missed the kick.
Knowing both stances and how to fight from them is even better. Then you can alternate between them and confuse your opponent.

I guess moderation is the key, but I will mostly square off because I dont use a lot of side or turn kicks.

[JohnMc1]

Great videos. Are there any more videos?

[Khun Kao]

What don't you agree with on the stance? Just curious...how do you stand? Was it where he kept his hands?

Nah, its the foot alignment and how the weight is set. In the video, the stance is taught with the feet parallel. I stand with my lead foot foward, but my rear foot angled out. Also, my weight is further back to facilitate lead leg kicks and checks.

[thai_me]

I agree, his stance is just a touch too far forward for me. Also he does need to square up a bit. If he gets round housed or hooked, he will be off balance straight away or he will just fall over. And as somone metioned before, he will have to pivot twice as far to bring his leg around on a round house. It wont be as snappy and powerfull as it should be. It will also take longer to get back in the set position. None of that is a good thing.

I mean you could pick at it all day, but as far as instructional vids go, its one of the best ive seen so far.

[gabbah]

Nah, its the foot alignment and how the weight is set. In the video, the stance is taught with the feet parallel. I stand with my lead foot foward, but my rear foot angled out. Also, my weight is further back to facilitate lead leg kicks and checks.

Personally I vary my weight distribution depending on the situation. If I want to be more agressive with my boxing, if my opponent doesn't use lowkicks so much, if he is slow or if he telegraphs his lowkicks, I can lean forward more.
If I want to play a more defensive game, if my opponent has fast and powerful lowkicks that I need to check, or I want to counter his punching with a lead leg roundhouse to the waist, I lean back more.

I have found that you need to be very conscious of this weight distribution. Your own AND your opponents. It tells you TONS of information. So on your own part, don't overdue it to either when you lean forward a bit, or when you lean back. If you show it to much your opponent can take advantage of it instantly.
Opponents who "telegraph" their weight also tell me what they intend to do, or what their weakness is at the moment. Like if he leans forward too much --> lowkick his lead leg, if he leans back too much --> he will counter with lead leg or is anticipating your lowkick --> fake lowkick and go in and punch, or sidestep and then lowkick the back leg... well you get the idea.
Also, if you opponent stands with feet too wide apart --> No lead kicks from him, but he can move faster forward and backward.

And yeah I agree with the stance Khun Kao, I think I have the same.